"Manners Meltdown" is an episode of Strawberry Shortcake's Berry Bitty Adventures.
Summary[]
The girls prepare themselves for the Berry Bitty Buggy Derby, a formal event with traditional etiquette rules. But after making a bad impression in front of Princess Berrykin, Blueberry ends up taking it overboard to avoid such mistakes again.
Episode Review[]
Strawberry is showing the girls how to properly ice a cake while Custard tries to lick it. She explains how careful one must be while decorating or else it's possible to very easily ruin the entire thing, then offers to let the other berry girls try it. Lemon worries she'll mess up the cake upon being volunteered, but Strawberry reassures her that no matter how it turns out it will still taste the same. To Lemon's surprise, it actually comes out looking very nice; only to spray some on Orange's face after being surprised by Princess Berrykin. She has come to inform the girls of the old tradition they planned to bring back soon, the Berry Bitty Buggy Derby. Everyone was so busy with the harvest season that it eventually became forgotten, but she wants to bring it back and would like their help.
As Raspberry mentions that she recalls it being a formal event, the Berrykin Princess goes on to say that some of the traditions are weird. Suddenly, Blueberry bursts into the Cafe and horrifies them- something she is unaware of until Lemon points out she just interrupted the Princess. While embarrassed, Blueberry apologizes for her mistake since she had no idea the Princess was even there. But the Princess isn't angry, nor is she upset and she soon leaves in order to locate the list of rules and preparations.
Over time, Blueberry is unable to enjoy herself, still feeling terrible over what she did and in hopes of making her feel better, she is given the job of being the Manners expert. Excited to make up for her rude manners, Blueberry stays up the entire evening to review the book.
As the girls discuss how excited they are Blueberry shows up with a book to help them. She goes over some points, such as bowing to the Princess every single time she approaches or greets someone. But the girls point out that this isn't common practice anymore, and the Princess doesn't make them do that as friends of hers. But Strawberry thinks that even if it's strange, they should probably just go along with it since it's tradition. They decided to go over what they have done up to this point when Blueberry asks what they should do if someone makes a mistake. Strawberry assures her that it's okay to make mistakes, since nobody is perfect, but Blueberry is too worried to listen.
The next day the Princess is going over what they have so far when Lemon asks why they introduce themselves to the drivers. Strawberry explains that is a nice gesture to those from out of town, to make them feel welcome. A baby Berrykin comes over to ask her what a tradition is so she takes a moment to explain as Orange admit to being nervous. Blueberry brings up the book and how she has read it from top to bottom, at least three times. She shows this when Plum asks why three bows are placed on each car, explaining that it's to remember drivers from the past. As the cars drive by, the girls hold up and open umbrellas. Plum continues on to say that holding up an umbrella doesn't make sense to her when suddenly she's splashed by a puddle, causing the baby Berrykin to say that it's tradition.
The drivers are brought up to the stage to meet the girls when Blueberry suddenly panics upon realizing they forgot to do an introduction. She tries to help before taking her turn, followed by Strawberry and everyone else. She worries that Strawberry forgot what to do and reminds her, and so far everything has been going well because of her help. But wanting to do more, she attempts to figure out what else she needs to handle.
That night the party is eventually held. Lemon and Raspberry chat about the dresses she made for everyone, then asks about Blueberry when they don't see her. They find her trying to make small talk with Postmaster Bumblebee when Plum approaches
and sees Blueberry say the exact same thing to the nearby Bee Postman. While it isn't very personal, Blueberry explains that she doesn't want to mess up, only going on to nitpick a variety of things as the party resumes.
In the end nobody really has a good time and Strawberry goes to have a chat with her friend. Blueberry refuses to listen to reason though, and decides to review her book again.
The next day, Strawberry notices how sleepy Blueberry looks, from once again being up late reviewing the book, and she starts to panic upon yawning. Just as she chastises herself, she stops upon spotting a mistake by Raspberry. By now none of the girls want to hear any more of these rules and pointers though, so they start to hide from her instead of dealing with it.
Blueberry notices a yellow Berrykin approaching the Princess, and thinks he is about to interrupt her speech. Blueberry jumps on a table and yells to the Berrykin that he should not interrupt the Princess, because it is bad manners. Everyone gasps at Blueberry's behavior. The Berrykin explains that he wanted to tell the Princess one of the other racers had a flat tire. Then, embarrassed and humiliated, he runs off and hides. Blueberry is given several disapproving looks. She is unable to understand what she did wrong though, until Strawberry explains her it is even more rude to correct bad manners in front of other people.
The racer refuses to come out of the Cafe and because it is holding up the race, Blueberry apologizes. She hadn't meant to
do what she did, and her apology makes the Berrykin feel somewhat better, but now he's nervous about messing up like she was. However, he will go on to race and to everyone's surprise he wins.
Happily, Blueberry hugs Lemon- only to quickly pull away and ask if it's okay that she did that. Lemon assures her it's fine and Strawberry decides to sing a song for everyone.
Quotes[]
- Raspberry: (about Blueberry) She's correcting everyone's mistakes...
- Plum: (angrily) She was correcting me even before I made a mistake!
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- (Blueberry approaches the other girls)
- Blueberry: (shouts from afar) Bad manners!
- Plum: Uh-oh! Manners maniac coming our way! Quick, hide!
- (the girls quickly disperse)
- Blueberry: Where'd they go? I could have sworn they were here a minute ago...
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- Blueberry: "Umbrellas! Time for the umbrellas!"
- Plum: Okay, now this tradition really makes no sense. Why would we open up umbrellas just because... someone is driving?
- Baby Berrykin: "'Cause it's a twadition!"
- Plum: "Very helpful. Thank you."
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- (Lemon unintentionally sprays icing on Orange's face, for the second time)
- Orange: Why do you keep frosting ME? Do I look like a cake?
- Plum (helping Orange clean her face): Hehe, you do now!
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- (repeated line)
- Blueberry: Bad manners! Bad manners!
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- Blueberry: I was just trying to make sure everything went well. I mean, why is the driver upset? He is the one who goofed up his manners!
- Strawberry: Uhm... actually, Blueberry, it's even worse manners to correct someone's bad manners in front of other people.
- Blueberry: Oh no... I've been doing that to all of you, haven't I?
- Lemon: Well, not exactly... I mean, not really... I mean... eh
- Plum: Yes!
- The other girls: Yes!
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Lessons[]
Blueberry learns that nobody is perfect, and sometimes bad manners just happen. But in her attempt to avoid them she ends up over-analyzing everyone else and causes them to try to avoid her because she's too focused on enforcing good manners. She learns of the balance between being polite and overdoing it.
Trivia[]
- This is the second episode in a row that is about Blueberry.
- This is one of the episodes that features Blueberry acting in a not-so-good manner.
- Blueberry is seen in this episode as trying to prevent her friends from engaging in bad manner behavior. Ironically, it is Blueberry who engages in bad manner behavior, often calling out her friends when they made silly, small mistakes and humiliating the race car driver when all he was doing was trying to be helpful.
Goofs[]
- If Blueberry was seeing the girls during the moment before the race where she called out "Bad manners!", she should have seen them disperse, thus knowing in which directions they took off to hide. Yet, Blueberry claims not to know where they went.
- It's possible that she most likely meant that she didn't know what specific spot the girls had gone to hide in.
External links[]
- Manners Meltdown at the Internet Movie Database